Plans: To attend Georgia Tech for aerospace engineering, while participating in the Air Force ROTC program

With an engineer and tinkerer father who makes and fixes nearly anything using leftover parts from around the house, it’s easy to see how Justin Gensel formed his personal philosophy.

“I feel you should try your hardest from the beginning and never give up until you achieve what you want,” he said.

That instilled work ethic he got from his dad has propelled the sharpshooting North Pocono High School senior to the top of the North Pocono Rifle Team and a top-20 finish in the league this year, as well as a 3.79 grade point average.

It also challenged him to join the cross country team at his high school, despite not sharing many of his teammates’ love of running. Grinding it out on courses served as another learning experience, affirming his philosophy formed at home.

“One of the most important lessons is to never give up even when you feel you cannot go on,” he said.

The avid hunter and fisherman hopes to one day become an engineer for the Air Force, working on planes, designing new models and maybe even flying, another of his many passions.

— PETER CAMERON

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.